The present invention relates, in general, to skates.
Skates, whether of the ice skate, roller skate or in-line variety, typically include a boot, a use element, such as an ice blade, rollers, or in-line rollers as well as a use element holder which receives the use element and is attachable to the boot.
Typically, a plurality of rivets are used to fixedly attach the holder to the boot sole. In the case of ice skates, the riveted attachment of the holder and blade requires that the entire boot, blade holder and blade be held or mounted in a fixture for sharpening in a blade sharpening machine. Due to the size of the ice skate, this is difficult to do in a manner which insures that the blade is held stationary during the entire sharpening process for the formation of a consistent edge.
In use, skates are subject to frequent start and stops. This generates high lateral torque forces which are transmitted to the rivets and which frequently result in breakage or damage of the rivets. This requires frequent replacement of the rivets which, at best, is a time-consuming process and renders the skate inoperative for the length of the repair process.
The Applicant has previously devised various skate constructions utilizing a sole recess and/or intermediate torque ribs to securely mount the blade holder to the sole in a manner which minimizes lateral torque forces from being transmitted to the use element holder.
It is believed that skates can be further improved relative to the use element the use element holder and the boot mounting arrangement.
The present invention is a skate which provides a simplified, quick and easy mounting of a replaceable blade to a blade holder and the blade holder to the boot which does not require any rivets between the blade holder and the boot as in previous skate constructions.
In one aspect of the invention, the skate includes a boot having an insole disposed within the boot and an outsole mounted exteriorly the boot. First and second retainers extend from the insole through the outsole. Bores are formed in the first and second retainers transverse to the length of the insoles. The holder is engagable with the outsole and has interior chambers receiving the first and second retainers of the insole, and an open ended groove formed in a bottom portion which has apertures opening into the interior chambers. A blade has a runner portion mountable in the open ended groove of the holder and a pair of legs extending from the runner and insertable through the apertures in the holder into the first and second retainers disposed in the interior chambers of the holder. A fastening pin is extendable through the aligned bores in the holder, the legs of the blade, and the first and second retainers to securely connect the blade to the holder and the holder to the boot.
The fastening pin preferably carries at least one or optionally two biased lock members, such as spring biased balls, which normally project outwardly from an exterior surface of the pin for forced engagement with end portions of the bores in the holder when the pin is mounted in the holder. The lock members securely fix the pin in the holder to couple the blade to the holder and the holder to the boot.
In one aspect, the fastening pin has spring biased lock members or balls carried at opposite ends of the pin. In yet another aspect, the pin carries a single biased lock member or ball at one end and a pull member or ring at an opposite end to facilitate pulling removal of the pin from the skate.
In one aspect of the invention, a plurality of complementary shaped projections and recesses are formed on one of or both of the outsole and the holder for mating when the holder is engaged with the outsole. The projections and recesses define surfaces which resist lateral as well as fore and aft movement of the holder relative to the outsole without the need for a recessed cavity in the outsole or rivets to fix the holder to the outsole of the boot.
The skate of the present invention provides a unique, quick and expedient structure for attachment of a replaceable blade to a blade holder as well as the blade holder to a boot by means of the same fasteners. This simplifies the assembly of the skate as well as any removal or replacement of the blade from the blade holder by eliminating the need for rivets used in practically all previously devised skates.